Ad Vitam Aeternam
by KittenEm
Summary: She wanted to forget. She wanted to feel pleasure, for once, instead of pain. Unfortunately, all he can show her is that the two are inextricably linked. Aro/OC One-Shot for I Get Off In Volterra Contest. Co-Authored with uninhibited.spirit


**I GET OFF IN VOLTERRA CONTEST**

_Ad Vitam Aeternam _

**Pen Names: **KittenEm & uninhibited .spirit

**Pairing: **Aro/OC

**Summary**: She wanted to forget. She wanted to feel pleasure, for once, instead of pain. Unfortunately, all he can show her is that the two are inextricably linked.

**Disclaimer: **We do not own anything, except for our OC, and our own ideas.

**Warning**: Just awesome lemony goodness. *wink*

* * *

_Take some time off. Go on a trip. Go to Italy; you have always wanted to go there. Try not to think about it too much._

If only she could listen to their advice; well, she figured she had. Otherwise, she wouldn't be waiting there in an ancient archway in a remote Italian town, waiting for a tour of some old castle.

Kimberly Davis never knew when her life had become so complicated. She had always thought that at twenty-five she had it all figured out – great family, good job, caring boyfriend. What more could a girl possibly want? Nothing really, but then things started to go downhill. Correction, it was more like a cliff than a gentle decline. One day, Kimberly found herself on the very edge of that cliff staring down into the abyss below, not knowing what she would find.

She guessed it had all started on a Wednesday at work, when Jayne got the promotion Kimberly had worked endless hours trying to get. So she went home early, hoping her boyfriend would be the rock, for the first time, in their relationship. Kimberly shook her head as she stared down at the map in her trembling hands. She wouldn't think about Keenan anymore, or the skanky whore she had found him with that day.

Knowing that her mother would not take sympathy with her, since she had advised Kimberly from moving in with him the first place, she hadn't bothered to go home. She went to her Nana's instead. Kimberly had lived with her Nana for nearly a month, until Nana fell extremely ill and had to be moved to a home. This was the last straw for her, especially when Keenan kept calling trying to get her to come back.

Folding up her map, she tucked it into her purse. She looked down at her arms and allowed one finger trace a faint scar that was peaking out from underneath the fabric. Agitated, she tugged on the long sleeves of her shirt, which had somehow been pushed up to her elbows. It was so hot out, which had everything to do with the fact that it was July in Italy and she was wearing long sleeves. But she couldn't get herself to wear anything that exposed her arms. It was her secret, something only she could control while the rest of her life seemed to be spiraling out of control.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," a crystal clear, silky voice called out over the soft hum of conversation. Kimberly looked up and found probably the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. The woman was tall and slender with long mahogany hair, which fell in ringlets past her shoulders, and the most interesting shade of violet eyes Kimberly had ever seen. "My name is Heidi and our tour will begin shortly if you would all please follow me this way." She gestured to the open gateway behind her, which led into a small courtyard.

Kimberly sighed heavily as she wiped her hands against her jeans - here goes nothing. Her canvas sneakers made no noise on the cobblestones as she followed the group and resisted the urge to moo. It was one of the things she hated the most about these sorts of tours, she always felt like a herd of cattle.

"The courtyard in which you are now standing was built…" Heidi began, but Kimberly hardly heard what she said. It might have to do with the fact that she wasn't really paying attention. Who really cared how old the building was anyway?

She hadn't wanted to be there in the first place, but she figured she had bothered to come all this way. While sitting in her hotel room and staring out of the window all day sounded like the best bet, she knew she couldn't do that. Not that there was anyone to stop her.

She was so lost in thought looking around the marble enclosure that when the group started moving inside one of the several doorways around the parameter, she almost was left behind. Grasping the strap of her purse on her shoulder, she ran to catch up with them.

"Please stay together," Heidi called out as they started down a long narrow passageway.

Kimberly stayed near the back of the group, as she was alone and the rest was made-up of happy couples and families; she felt so out of place.

After several long moments they reached a large set of double-wooden doors. She noticed for the first time that there were two men other either side of the door, both with bright crimson eyes.

A shudder ran through Kimberly's body as she began to wonder what she had gotten herself into. However, her thoughts were interrupted as the doors were pushed open.

The room beyond the doors was extremely large, comprised of pale gray marble and a very high, domed ceiling. At the far end of the room there were three chairs and three men. Two of the men stood, both with long, ebony black hair, while the third blonde man remained seated. The one dark haired man walked slowly towards the group as it entered the room, his arms outstretched in a welcoming manner; his white teeth exposed, in what should have been a friendly smile.

The group filed in slowly, filling the room, but Kimberly lingered near the doors, staying as far back as she could.

"Welcome to Volterra!"

The man's voice was beautiful, crystal clear, and it sounded so sincere. The two men by the doors pulled them shut, locking the group inside the room. Kimberly felt goose bumps spread across her skin. Something was not right. The man's smile was oddly eerie, even if it was meant to be reassuring, and almost gave a forewarning of what was to come.

Kimberly noticed a group of both men and women, all clad in gray cloaks and all with piercing red eyes, lining the walls of the room. But it was only seconds before blood curdling screams rose up all over.

The cloaked figures were spreading through the group of tourists. Kimberly watched as the so-called tour guide jerked a young man's head to the side before sinking her beautiful white teeth into the side of his neck. She wanted to turn and run, but she was frozen to that very spot, horrified by what she saw and to afraid to run or even scream.

Kimberly noticed the three men at the far end of the room, who apparently possessed some sort of superior authority, had finally descended from their platform and began to approach the group. They had a surreal, ghost-like quality about them; their movements were effortless and graceful as they floated towards the chaos.

Perhaps it was sheer luck which had allowed Kimberly to go unnoticed, or her positioning so far back from everyone else. She watched as two of the graceful men drifted off amongst the people, causing new screams to rise up from the fray, but the one who had welcomed them stood a few feet away, observing the grisly scene. It was obvious that he was searching, deciding, but finally Kimberly managed to turn on heel and dash towards the doors they had entered through.

She had grabbed the large iron door handle as she felt a crushing weight hit her from behind, thrusting her to the floor. Her cheek slammed into the cold hard marble of the ground, the weight pinning her down, making any further attempt at escape impossible.

His cold arms gripped her waist, pulling her backwards onto her knees. She felt his cold cheek nuzzle against her neck, getting past her hair to expose her throat. At first Kimberly thought she was already dying, there had been no pain, but the deafening screams had almost completely stopped. She recalled the events in her life leading up to this point: the promotion, Keenan and his indiscretion, and the trip to Italy.

It took a few moments before Kimberly realized that the man was no longer behind her, holding her captive. Now it was just her, frozen with fear, her brain struggling to make sense of what she had just witnessed. The cloaked figures began to drag the remnants of the tour group lifelessly from the hall before Kimberly finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

When Kimberly was finally able to force her eyes open, she awoke to darkness. The room she was in was extremely dark, and bitterly cold, and she could hear nothing but the frantic pounding of her heart.

She attempted to sit upright but easily gave up as a wave of searing pain tore through her head. Instead, she remained lying down as a new rush of pain washing through her. She desperately tried to recall where she was._ I knew that tour was a bad idea. I should have stayed at the hotel. They murdered all those people, and for what? Food!? Am I really supposed to believe that they drank their blood?_

"But my dear, we did drink their blood." His beautiful clear voice rang out in the darkness. Kimberly shrieked in fear. She had foolishly thought she was alone inside the room and had been oblivious to the icy touch of fingertips against the back of her hand. "Now Kimberly, there's no need to be so afraid."

Luckily Kimberly couldn't see the crimson eyes as they glittered greedily in the dark. Neither could she see the razor sharp, venom coated teeth which had become exposed when his lips had pulled back into that eerie smile.

"Who are you? What are you? How do you know my name? Where am I?" she blurted out before she had time to even think. Her brain worked frantically to try to figure out what in the world was going on.

She couldn't help the shudder that ran down her spine as his fingers continued to lightly stroke the top of her hand.

He gave a little, cold, dark laugh. "So many questions," he mused.

Now that Kimberly knew he was there, she felt him move closer until his icy breath caressed the back of her neck. There was one question that she desperately wanted the answer to, but didn't have the courage to ask: why her? She had walked into this place with a large group, why was she the only one still alive.

"Because I find you fascinating," the eerie voice whispered again, giving answers to the things she had not even said.

She whipped her head in the direction of the voice. However this only helped increase the pounding in her head.

"How did you…?" Kimberly couldn't even finish her sentence.

His fingers tapped against her hand in reply. As it slowly started to sink in, Kimberly tried to yank her hand away, but it was caught in his tight grasp.

"Do not think it is that easy."

Kimberly's head was pounding and spinning all that the same time. It still hurt from where she hit it when she lost consciousness, and it didn't help now that she was squinting in the darkness to try to make out the ominous figure before her - not that she really had any desire to see him again or his brilliantly red eyes.

She squeezed her eyes shut when a soft dim light was turned on. This whole - him being able to get inside her head and know exactly what she was thinking - thing was really unsettling.

A scream ripped from Kimberly's throat as she opened her eyes and found him mere inches in front of her; his nose almost touching hers. She jumped back and pressed herself against the cold stone wall behind her. Frantically she looked around for a way out. However, she soon discovered that the room she was in had no windows and only one door… on the other side of the room.

He seemed unfazed by the sound, watching her intently with those eyes, which she was sure were going to give her nightmares for years to come… if she lived that long.

"Please…" she whispered though she didn't know what she was asking for. To live? For him to finally kill her as she expected him to?

With cat-like grace he rose from his crouched position. Her gazed was riveted onto him taking in all his features – his almost translucently pale skin, strong forehead, shoulder-length jet-black hair, and pointed nose – as well as his appearance, in a remarkably tailored all black suit.

He floated towards her and he smiled that same outwardly reassuring smile as his thin lips pulled back from his white teeth. Kimberly trembled all over and her breath was coming in short gasps once more as he wrapped his icicle-like fingers around her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.

_Please just kill me and put me out of my misery_, she thought, which was probably the most coherent thought she had had in the last several moments.

His fingers tightened slightly around her chin before he let go and took a step back.

"Fascinating."

Kimberly really wanted to know what he found so fascinating, especially when most of her thoughts around him had been about her impending death. She was drawn out of that particular train of thought, when the door slowly creaked open. The pale-blonde male she recognized from the hall stepped through the door. He was one of the other men who had stood with the one before her.

He leered and hissed at her before turning his attention to the black-haired man.

"Aro, what have I told you about playing with your food?" While the comment could be construed as comical, it was not intended to be taken as such.

The man called Aro turned his head in the direction of the other male.

"What is it, Caius, that would have you interrupt me?" he asked, agitation lacing his words.

"I just wanted to make sure that your fascination for the girl would not interfere with your application of our laws. Sometimes I find you to be far too merciful." His eyes were hard and cold as he emphasized that last word.

Though the expression on Aro's face didn't change, his eyes were piercing as he held Caius' gaze. "I am well aware of our laws since it was I who created most of them." His voice was crisp in his response. The blonde male's eyes narrowed before he backed towards the door and slipped quietly from the room.

Aro turned to face Kimberly again, "I am so sorry my dear, for the interruption. Now, where were we?" He took a small step towards her, bringing himself ever closer to her, so if she raised a finger, she could have touched him.

"I don't understand what about me is so fascinating. I'm really a very normal, boring person." She forced herself to look him in the eye as she spoke.

"All in good time." A small smile stretched across his lips as he raised his hand to gently run his fingertips along her jaw line. His face inched closer and closer, his lips slightly parted, as his fingertips continued down her neck, resting there.

After a moment, with his face barely an inch from Kimberly's, he pulled back a bit, a deep ragged breath escaping his lips.

"I can answer your questions before you ask them because I can read every thought you've ever had with a single touch." The smile returned to his lips, clearly he was quite proud of his gift. "Isn't it so convenient? There's nothing to hide from me, because I know everything Kimberly. I know about the promotion, the affair; even how my touch just now excited you."

Kimberly took a few more steps back, desperate to put some more space between them.

"You mean how your touch terrified me." When he didn't say anything, she decided perhaps now he might answer some of her questions. "What are you? I know you're not human, so maybe we can cut the crap and you can just tell me. It's only fair. You know everything about me and I don't know anything about you?" It took all of her strength to be strong, to speak up, even though she was desperate for unconsciousness to consume her again.

"Kimberly, if I tell you, then I'll have no choice but to kill you." A saddened expression darkened his face at this thought, "Perhaps this way, your ignorance will allow me to keep you for just a little while. There's so much more about you I'd like to know, I must know. Maybe then it will be easier for me to kill such a fascinating creature."

She shuddered at his words; apparently he would kill her, but not yet. Kimberly only wished she could keep him this fascinated, so perhaps she could buy herself some more time.

"But you must rest for now Kimberly. I'm afraid your head was hit rather hard, and I know you're in quite a bit of pain right now. But never fear, I will return, and maybe then you and I can get to know each other better."

He floated towards the door, stopping when he reached it to turn and take a final look at Kimberly before he left, leaving her in complete darkness once again.

Kimberly lay back down, her head throbbing as she tried to calm herself. He was intrigued by her, and although his touch made her cringe, something about him was intoxicating. She didn't want to give up; she had survived too much to throw it all away now. She was a woman, and although he wasn't human, he was male, and the look she had seen in his eyes told her that he definitely was not repulsed by her.

Kimberly knew if she could get some rest, and stop the pounding in her head, there was the possibility that she might be able to buy some more time. But the images from earlier were burned into her mind: the screams of unsuspecting tourists as they were butchered, the red irises of these strange people and most of all, how these people had fed on the blood.

Kimberly bolted upright in the dark, cringing as her head cursed her for it. It could not have been more obvious at that moment, and she felt as though she had been hit by a train. _It can't be true. They're only found in pages of stories, fairytales, they don't really exist. But what else would they be? They drank human blood, they were pale and cold, and those eyes were not human eyes. _She gasped for breath as the realization washed over her, as she recalled what the blonde male had said. _Their vampires!?_

Kimberly squeezed her eyes shut and pressed the tips of her fingers to her temples.

_It just can't be true. _She tried to reason with herself. Vampires don't exist. Even if they do, they had fangs and could turn into bats. As far as Kimberly knew Dracula lived in Transylvania not Italy. However, everything just fell into place and she couldn't think of any other reasonable explanation for anything that had happened to her thus far.

She couldn't allow herself to think this way. If what Aro had told her was true, he would know that she knew he was a vampire. This is why, when she finally laid her head back down on the cold stone floor, she had almost convinced herself that they were cannibals, rather than vampires.

Kimberly had to find a way to stay alive. While there were times she had wished for death, she didn't want to die this way – at the hands of a bloodthirsty killer. There had to be a way, there had to. She pulled her knees into her chest to try to conserve as much body heat as possible. Her teeth were going to start chattering and she knew it. She was not about to allow herself to freeze to death now.

What little sleep she got that night was restless. The pounding in her head had gone down over time, which helped, but the wheels in her brain never stopped spinning. She needed a plan of attack and she would use whatever powers of persuasion she had left.

The feeling of a cold finger trailing down her cheek jolted Kimberly awake from her fitful sleep. She kept her eyes shut and pretended to still be sleeping, though her heart was beating a million miles a minute.

There was a low rumbling laugh. "You forget I know all your thoughts. I know you are awake, so there is no reason to pretend otherwise."

Kimberly groaned inwardly and slowly opened her eyes. Aro was crouched down at her side, gently running his fingers across her cheek with a troubled look in his eyes. She pushed herself up so she was sitting in front of him.

"Wha-a-at t-t-time is it-t-t?" Kimberly stuttered out from the cold, in the hope of forming some sort of conversation. Her survival counted on keeping his fascination focused on her so he would not lose interest too soon.

"Around three in the morning," Aro replied as he reached behind him and pulled forth a blanket, which he draped around her shoulders.

Kimberly tugged the corners tightly around her, trying to take as much warmth as there was from the scratchy fabric.

"Th-th-thank you."

His lips turned up slightly at the corners and his bright red eyes seemed to twinkle.

"I would rather you not freeze."

"Than why are you keeping me here?" Kimberly didn't quite know where she got the strength to question him.

He shook his head sadly. "It is safer for you here for the time being, especially if I am going to entertain thoughts of keeping you."

"Keeping me?"

Aro didn't answer right away; instead he held his hand out to her. Kimberly looked at it for a moment as if he were offering her a snake. She looked up into his eyes as her own hand snuck out from under the blanket. She hesitated, pulling her hand back a little bit; this was weird and different. Every time they had touched in the past it was of his doing and now it was up to her to make that first move, to touch him. But what choice did she really have?

His slender fingers wrapped her hand when she placed it on top of his. Aro inched closer still until Kimberly could almost feel the cold radiating off of him. She was captivated by his eyes, holding her gaze and pulling her in. She wanted to resist him, to hold onto what little sanity she seemed to have left.

"How could you do it?" he whispered, his lips mere inches from hers.

"Do what?"

Kimberly gasped loudly as he pulled her arm out from under the blanket and pushed her sleeve to her elbow. At first she was shocked by the speed at which he moved, then by what he was implying. He clicked his tongue as he slowly traced the faint white scars along her wrist, forearm, and inside of her elbow.

"So wasteful." He raised her arm so he could take a better look at them.

Kimberly resisted the urge to yank her arm away and cover it up again. No one knew her secret – not her mother, Keenan, or even her grandmother. Now, _he _knew her deepest darkest secret. What reason or right did he had to pry into her life? But Kimberly realized that if this was why he found her so fascinating and was going to keep her alive, than she would allow him to take his fill.

A shiver ran all the way from her arm down her back as he pressed his icy lips to the first faint scar on her wrist.

Kimberly was startled by the deathly chill of his lips against her skin; the contrast made her feel feverish. She watched him, as his lips lingered against her wrist, before the horror washed through her; panic beginning to bubble up inside. His tender kiss was not the mildly affectionate act she had thought it to be. Rather, to her shock and disgust, he was feeling the blood that rushed through her veins, separated only by her delicate flesh.

She braced herself, waiting for the moment when those perfectly white teeth would dig through her skin, exposing the sustenance beneath. It took a moment before Kimberly realized that he was, in fact, no longer kissing her wrist. He sat, holding her hand delicately in his own, with a look of both confusion and fascination.

Kimberly realized, at that moment, she was thinking about the things she was not supposed to think about, and he knew it all.

"Well my dear, you're a clever girl. I assumed you would figure it out sooner or later, though I've never been considered a cannibal before." There was a hint of a grin that played at the corners of his mouth. "But you really thought I would bite you? Had I not said that I wished to keep you a while?"

"What do you mean by a while?" She wanted to remove her hand, she hated that he knew everything; that he probably had known her question before she had even asked it aloud.

"I think it best if we discuss that later. I do apologize for your present lodgings, but I have arranged for you stay in a much more appropriate room. Shall we?" He rose gracefully, still maintaining his grasp on Kimberly's hand.

She allowed him to lead her from the dark cold room, into a beautifully ornate marble hallway. Each meter of the hallway seemed the same as the last, until finally they reached a long, spiraling staircase. As they continued to climb down more and more stairs, Kimberly couldn't help but wish they had invested in an elevator.

Eventually they reached the bottom of the staircase, and emerged into a new hallway, which seemed identical to the first. However, this hallway was lined with large dark, polished wooden doors. After they had passed more then she could possibly count, he opened one and saw her inside. The room beyond the door was beautiful beyond words. The linens were an incredible light golden beige, and the entire room seemed warm and timeless.

"I'm so glad it's to your liking. I shall leave you to it." Kimberly turned to face him, but instead she found only the closed door. She turned back to look around the room, finding a door on the other side which led to an equally beautiful bathroom, for which she was grateful.

After cleaning herself up, she found a white nightgown had been laid gently on the end of the bed. Though the fact that someone had entered the room to leave the gown and then left without her taking notice was unsettling, she was happy to have something clean to wear. Kimberly crawled into the large bed, which proved to be as comfortable as it looked, and immediately fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

When she awoke, she was not sure if she had slept for hours or days, but she was grateful for it nonetheless. To her dismay, a tray of food had been left on the night side table, and she couldn't help but wonder if the same thoughtful person had left it. When she had finished she lay back down, wondering how long she had been in this strange place. More importantly, she wondered when Aro would appear to her next. His absence was more disconcerting then his presence. Eventually Kimberly let herself drift back off to sleep, and awoke to a darkened room. The sun outside had set, and only a hint of moonlight seeped in through the window.

"Interesting things: dreams." His voice rang out through the silent room, even though it was barely more then a whisper. "It's even more interesting that you've stopped dreaming about Keenan." His voice was impossible to place in the dark room, and it seemed to come from every direction, its source hidden by shadows.

"It's not fair; that you can seep into people's heads, and know everything about them. It's also not fair that in return you still offer me no answers, no explanations, nothing." The fact that even as she slept he had been there, in her room, watching her and listening to her most private thoughts had angered her.

"You already know what I am, and what my intentions are for you."

His breath was cool against the side of her neck, his face disturbingly close to her, his lips brushing against her ear. Wherever he had been, he was now sitting on the edge of the bed, so close to her that even the bed sheets couldn't protect her from his permeating coldness.

Kimberly gasped at his sudden closeness and the way it caused her heart to skip a beat inside her chest. It had excited her, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

She felt his gentle, icy fingertips run down her neck and chest, only stopping at the delicate fabric of her night gown. Unfortunately, the scooped neck meant that his fingertips had come far too close to her breasts for her liking.

"Should I stop? You're confused which feeling to accept: disgust or excitement. Disgust won't buy you much time." His voice was seductively smooth, but Kimberly was enraged that he had even known about her plan to buy time. There was nothing she could hide from him, if she thought it, he would know. In her anger she pushed roughly at his chest in her desperate attempt to put space between them.

Kimberly felt a loud snarl rip from deep in his chest. He pushed her down roughly into the mattress, his weight pinning her there, chilling her to the bone.

Aro grabbed hold of her wrists and too easily fixed them above her head with a single hand. The other hand wound its way around her slender neck, the pad of his thumb pressing against the throbbing artery there. His thin lips were pulled back, exposing his sharp teeth as he continued to snarl at her. Her heart pounded against her breast as she started to panic.

Kimberly gasped for breath as his fingers began to tighten around her neck; almost completely cutting off her air.

"You will never do that again, if you value your poor pathetic life. Nor will you deny me. It is by my will alone that keeps you alive. Do you understand?" he growled, low and deep.

Kimberly frantically tried to pull her hands free from his vice-like grip, but he would not be moved. It was like she was trapped beneath a cold marble statue as it slowly suffocated her. While she realized what she had done was extremely foolish, since he could kill her with little more than a slight movement of his finger, there still had to be a way out.

She then tried to speak, but all that came out were loud gasps and squeaks. So, she turned to the only way she could think of to communicate with him, even if she despised the idea that he could do it. _Please_, she pleaded in her mind, knowing he would hear her.

He lowered his head down until his face was almost touching hers as he hissed at her, "You will have to do better than that, my dear."

Kimberly's thoughts were frantic and fragmented as she still fought for breath. The only completely coherent thought she had was: _Please,_ _I will do as you want! _

Aro's fingers loosened only enough for her to take a single deep breathe before they resumed their pervious grip.

"Is that a promise?" he whispered low, as his lips ghosted over hers.

_Yes! _she screamed in her head before she gave herself any time to rethink about what she had just agreed to. She was almost completely certain that she was willing to live up to that promise and do whatever he wanted as long as she remained alive. For her that was the goal: to live. No matter what it took, she would get out of here.

Once the single word entered her mind, he crushed his icy lips to hers and his fingers trailed down her neck. She shuddered from the cold and the desire that ran through every fiber of her being. While she was still disgusted with his assumption that she would do any of this because he wanted her to, there was no point in denying her attraction to him. Help her, but she enjoyed the delicious things he was doing with his hands.

He released her arms which now hung limply at her sides; not having found the strength to touch him. His fingertips traveled down her neck and across her shoulder, pushing down the straps of her night gown. Lips followed fingers as he nuzzled his face into her hair until he was greeted with the warm smooth skin where her neck met her shoulder. He twisted her hair around his hand and tugged it roughly to one side as he sucked greedily on that one spot; marking her as his while the first low moan was pulled from her.

A startled gasp escaped her lips as his hand came to rest atop her breast, the cold permeating through the thin silky fabric that still covered it. He caressed her, bringing her nipples to taut, aching peaks. When she instinctively arched her back, pressing her breast more fully into his hand, he quickly took advantage and slipped underneath her gown. Her head was spinning and she was loosing any capability to resist him at all as his icicle-like fingers came into contact with bare flesh.

She moaned again into his ear and impulsively arched against the persistent proof of his desire for her, shifting restlessly as her body was claimed by awakening needs that she would have preferred to stay deeply buried. Growling low in his throat, Aro kissed her hard again, plundering her mouth with a possessiveness that was as dark as it was seductive.

Pulling away, he gazed down at her face; her eyes closed, lips parted and chest rising and falling with each staggered breathe she took. A slight smile touched his lips when he ran his fingers down her neck once again, feeling her pulse flutter as he touched the mark he had left.

"It's been too long since you have felt the pleasure of a man's touch. I can see that even Keenan failed to satisfy your desires." He leaned in close so his sweet, cool breath caressed her cheek. "Even though I'm so cold, you melt so wonderfully in my hands. While I have not forgiven you for you previous transgression, if you continue to be so willing, we will see what is to become of you. Like I have said, I want to keep you, so I would be careful not to anger me again."

With those final words, Kimberly felt his crushing weight lift off of her and disappear all together. She rolled over in the darkness and buried her face into her pillow. There was nothing that could hold the painful sobs back as they wracked her entire frame. Hands shaking, she forcefully pulled the front of her night gown back up to cover herself up again. Several minutes later her sobs dissolved into soft whimpers.

What was wrong with her? How could she lie beneath him like that, moaning like a wanton whore? Her stomach twisted into aching knots just at the thought of it. Kimberly was certain she was going to be sick. Forcing herself out of bed, she made it to the bathroom just in time.

After emptying the contents of her stomach, twice, she moved over to the sink. She splashed cold water on her face and neck as she tried to regain her breath. Against any sort of better judgment, she looked up at herself in the mirror. Her skin was ashen and nearly as white as Aro. She pinched some color back into her cheeks, just to prove to herself that there was still blood flowing through her veins.

She was completely numb, a feeling that was all too familiar to her. A feeling she thought she had finally been able to get over feeling. She slowly sank to the floor as she wrapped her arms around herself, her fingernails biting into her upper arms. The slight pain she felt was not enough, not this time. But there was nothing she could do, what little possessions she had brought with her were still in her hotel room or purse. Neither of which could she get access to.

She didn't know how long she stayed there on the cold stone floor. Finally, she was able to convince herself to peel herself from the floor and go back to bed.

On shaky legs, she went back into her room. She stopped frozen by the doorframe as she saw a medium sized black box resting on her bed. It seemed that someone had, yet again, come into the room when she was unaware and left something for her.

Taking a deep breath, she went to sit on the bed and crossed her legs under her. She plucked the letter that rested on top of the box. Opening it she read the very brief message from Aro: _I thought you might like to see an old friend, though try not to be as wasteful as you have been in the past._

Wondering what he meant by that, she took the lid off the box to find an elaborate glass bottle with a cork top, a bundle of gauze and what looked like a ring box. It was this smaller box that immediately drew Kimberly's attention. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she opened it.

She gently removed the blade from its velvet bed and watched the rays of light bounce off of it. The fact that he had given her these tools, to inflict herself with glorious pain and to pull her from this numb state, made her wonder what he would get from it. There was no doubt in her mind that Aro had his own motives behind his generous gift. Unfortunately, Kimberly was unable to reach a solid conclusion as to what he felt he would gain.

She wanted to feel something, anything that might take her mind off of her current situation. She brought the blade to the scarred flesh of her wrist, pausing briefly to remember the feeling of Aro's icy lips against her warm skin. Kimberly narrowed her eyes, frustrated by the way he invaded her thoughts, even when he was not actually present.

She closed her eyes, wanting to focus only on the incredible pain as the blade bit into skin. She opened her eyes to watch the blood ooze gently out of the cut, even the blood reminded her of him, and she remembered his note and reached for the glass bottle. She let some of the blood drip into it, all the while her mind was screaming about how crazy she was.

She brought the razor back to her wrist to slowly carve another line, letting more blood drip into the tiny bottle. She closed her eyes to savor the last moments of searing pain, before they began to subside, leaving only a dull ache. Kimberly corked the small bottle, frowning slightly as she realized how much blood had accumulated. She felt her head start to spin as she walked to the bathroom. After she had cleaned and bandaged the cuts she returned to the bed, setting the small precious bottle on the night table before she fell into a deep, heavy sleep.

When Kimberly awoke, she could see the dull daylight through the window. She forced herself to sit upright, noticing the bottle had vanished from the nightstand. She tried not to think too much about the still unknown messenger who continued to slip in and out of her room unnoticed. Not only had the messenger removed the small glass bottle, they had left a beautiful and simple black dress draped on the end of the bed.

Kimberly was grateful that she would have some real clothes to slip into, as she wandered into the bathroom, desperate for a hot shower. After her shower she re-bandaged her wrist, and slipped on the dress that had been left. She smiled to herself as she discovered it was long sleeved, how considerate.

She walked back into the bedroom, feeling the slightest bit more content. She wasn't even surprised when she spotted the tray of food on the bedside table. Kimberly was really beginning to like this strange messenger. She couldn't help but wonder if it was Aro himself who continued to bring her what she needed, but she was fairly positive that he had a person for every task possible.

She ate slowly by the window, looking out over the city. It was a beautiful city, but her thoughts were still clouded by her predicament. She still felt disgusted with herself for the little escapade last night. She couldn't understand how she could possibly be so attracted to this monster. But as she recalled the way his lips had felt against her neck or the way his hands had awakened parts of her she thought were long dead. She realized that he was the most dangerous, the most deadly thing she had ever encountered. He was able to inflict so much pain, but he was also able to provide so much pleasure. Kimberly felt her body react as she reminisced; her traitorous body wanted her to indulge, to let him devour her.

Cold rippling waves of pleasure washed over her as ice cold lips found the mark on her neck.

"That would make two of us."

Her back tensed at the sound of his voice. She hadn't heard him come in; then again, she hadn't really noticed the times when he just disappeared either. The tension was quickly released as he trailed his lips up her neck, until his nose was buried in her hair.

Aro ran his fingers ever so gently over the tops of her shoulders, as he whispered in her ear. "I am most pleased that you are finally accepting the pleasure I can give you."

"You were right, you know." Kimberly replied softly, allowing her head to lull to one side to give him better access to her neck. She could feel the smile on his lips against the back of her neck, his cold making the hairs there to stand at attention.

"About what, my dear?"

She hesitated a moment. He really didn't need for her to say it, did he? Tipping her head back slightly, she met his gaze upside-down. "About Keenan." She couldn't believe she could say his name and not feel that all too familiar aching in her heart.

Aro smiled again as he moved to take the empty seat next to her. Leaning forward slightly, he rested his elbows on his knees and held his hand out, palms up, inviting her to touch him. How could she resist him anymore? There seemed to be no viable reason not to; he was going to get into her head one way or another. So, she laid a hand on top of his, his fingers circling around her palm as his other hand came to rest on top of it.

He gazed down at their conjoined hands for a moment, before snapping his head up to stare into her eyes. Raising their hands slightly, he pushed up the sleeve on her dress to reveal her bandaged wrist.

"Why did you give it to me?" She asked abruptly. "What could you possibly gain by allowing me to hurt myself?"

"A very tasty snack, for one." The corners of his lips twitched slightly. "As well as the opportunity to really see what drives you to such desperate acts. It is not death you want, but the pain; to be able to feel something when there is nothing. The idea fascinates me; that a human could go to such desperate lengths just for a taste of something they cannot have. These scars," he paused as he traced a finger over the web work on her arm. "They will never go away; they are a constant reminder of what you have done."

Kimberly's mouth dropped open in shock. _So, he wanted me to do it? He purposefully manipulated me to satisfy his own curiosity? Stupid vampire! _

"How else was I supposed to know?" he asked as he raised an elegant eyebrow.

She shut her mouth with a loud snap of her teeth and tried to pull her hand free from his. She scowled at him.

"You could have asked."

"And would you have answered my questions?" She growled and gritted her teeth in response. He laughed quietly. "I thought as much. Though I do have to admit that I did greatly enjoy getting you to moan beneath me."

Kimberly felt the heat rise into her cheeks in embarrassment as she remembered exactly what happened last night. Once she had some time to think about it earlier, while she was eating, she soon discovered that she would do almost everything to have that feeling again.

Aro set her hands gently on her lap as he rose from his chair and moved to stand behind her once more. He ran his fingertips down the sides of her neck and across the tops of her shoulders. Kimberly sighed and closed her eyes as his lightly stroked her collarbone and her cleavage.

"I don't think you know how much you please me." His voice was soft and smooth, like velvet.

Kimberly tied to fight the sensations he was awakening within her, but she couldn't. She wanted him – vampire or not, though there was still the nagging feeling, in the back of her head, that pushed her to voice the one question she was too afraid to ask.

"If I am pleasing enough to you, will you let me go?"

Kimberly whipped around in her chair when she no longer felt him behind her. She placed a hand against her breast, breathing heavily when she saw him standing completely still, almost frozen, several feet away. His hard crimson eyes narrowed into fiery slits and his hands had balled up into fists at his sides.

"You can never leave." Before she had a chance to blink, he was in front of her again, his hands gripping so tightly on her forearms that she though he might actually break them. "You know what I am. I cannot run the risk of letting that knowledge be known to anyone. No, you cannot leave."

Moisture pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall now. "Then what is to become of me?" she whispered brokenly as she looked up into his red eyes.

His expression softened as he wrapped one arm around her waist, the other diving into her hair. He pulled her flush against him as he pressed her head to his shoulder. Burying her face in his neck, she breathed in his sweet, but truly masculine smell. A shudder ran through her body, and this time it wasn't because of the cold.

"There are only two options, both of which are extremely appealing to me though for very different reasons." His lips touched her ear.

"Which would be?" Kimberly wasn't entirely sure she wanted the answer to that, because she was sure one of them was death. However, she didn't know what the second choice might be and she grasped to the idea that maybe it was a better option than the first.

"All in good time, my dear. But right now, I think your fate is the furthest thing from both of our minds." He let out a throaty groan as he ground his hips against hers.

Without any warning, Aro scooped her up into his arms and dumped her unceremoniously in the middle of her bed. He stood back for a moment taking in the sight of her – her hair spread out in soft waves about her face, her breasts heaving with each breath she took, and the edge of skirt riding dangerously high on her thighs. Shrugging out of his black suit jacket, he tossed it onto a chair before he undid the first few buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he kicked off his shoes.

Kimberly crept up behind him, briefly running her hands through his jet-black hair before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She couldn't believe she was doing this, or was about to do this. There was no doubt in her mind that she was playing with fire and if she wasn't careful she would be burned. But for the first time in her life, she purposefully threw caution to the wind. He wanted her, she was certain of that, as much, if not more than she wanted him. This was her last chance at survival, because there was a dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach that if she failed to please him now, she was as sure as dead.

"Please, help me to forget," she whispered.

She was glad to discover that she needed to say nothing else. Aro's lips found hers; they were forceful and passionate. Though they were cold, they reminded Kimberly what he was, and she could still feel her body reacting to him.

He turned to face her fully, slowly pushing her back into the bed; his lips touching the skin of her neck. His teeth began to nip the delicate skin, ever so gently. Kimberly found herself unable to withhold the quiet gasp; betraying the hot pulsing fear which had begun to accumulate in the pit of her stomach.

A low rumbling growl left his lips before he claimed her mouth again. His kisses alone made her knees weak, and she arched her back with need, desperate for more of him.

She felt cold all over when his body pressed against her own. She felt a shiver run down her spine as his cold hands ran up the length of her thigh, pushing up the hem of her skirt. Kimberly spread her legs apart just enough for his hand to find her soft, aching folds. She moaned softly as he stroked her gently, before two of his fingers plunged into her. Kimberly couldn't deny how good it felt, to be that close to him; to know that he would get closer still. Another, slightly louder moan escaped her lips as his fingers continued to glide softly in and out of her, teasing her; reminding her of what was still to come.

Aro's lips became more urgent against her own, his tongue invading her mouth mercilessly. Kimberly's hand wove their way into his jet black hair, tugging ever so slightly, drawing another low growl from deep within his chest. He removed his fingers, using his hands to rip the beautiful black dress in half, exposing her completely. She watched his eyes take in all of her body, before meeting her gaze. His eyes were no longer their vibrant red colour; instead they had darkened to a burgundy so deep it looked almost entirely black. She leaned forward to kiss him, she needed to distract herself from the drastic change she saw in his eyes. Kimberly didn't understand why the change had occurred, but assumed it was associated either with his lust… or his thirst.

She felt his icy touch on her one breast; gently caressing it while she fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. It took a moment or two, but finally she was able to open his shirt, exposing his pale, marble-hard, surprisingly muscled torso. He was beautiful; all of him. She wasted no time before she turned her attention to his suit pants, undoing the belt before whipping it across the room. She undid the zipper of his pants, and slipping her hand past the fabric to grasp his arousal.

Aro's mouth replaced his hand on her breast, his teeth clamping down gently on her nipple so that he could tease it softly with his tongue. Why did it all have to feel so good? She wanted to scream, but she stifled it, her teeth nipping lightly on her bottom lip as her hand continued to stroke his shaft, imagining how it would feel to be inside her.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, Aro abandoned her breast, repositioning himself between her legs. Kimberly met his smoldering gaze. _This was it_. The moment she had both feared and longed for. He continued to hold her gaze as his weight pushed her legs further apart, giving him enough room to thrust into her. She felt her body stretch to accommodate his throbbing length, and she let her head fall back into the mattress as a loud moan echoed through the room. Kimberly caught the slightest glimpse of a grin play across his lips before he began to grind into her.

She savored the feel of him inside of her; stretching and filling all of her, making her feel more complete then she had in a long time. But she couldn't help but acknowledge that she was a little bit surprised to discover that every part of him was equally as cold. The grin reappeared on his face, as he thrust into her, each thrust harder than the last. She had trouble identifying when one moan ended an another began; lost in waves of chilling pleasure as her body began to ache under his exquisite weight.

Though time was the last thing on her mind as they moved together, Aro satisfying all of her needs without her ever needing to say a single word. She felt her body reach its peak all too soon. Aro was deep inside of her as they came together, a loud feral snarl echoed through the chamber as his venomous lust exploded into her depths.

Kimberly enjoyed the feel of his weight, as it continued to pin her to the mattress. She lay beneath him, trembling as he throbbed inside of her. They remained like that, fused together, until the last surges of pleasure washed over them.

Kimberly ignored the tug of embarrassment as she lifted her eyes to look into his face. His eyes were still black as he stared down at her.

"Did I please you?" Her voice was barely anything more than a whisper, her chest heaving with each pound of her heart as she awaited his verdict.

"I said you please me much more then you know; though I had no idea your body would satisfy me in such a way." His voice was smooth, yet oddly distant for someone who had just made love to her.

He withdrew from her, zipping up his pants and rebuttoning his shirt. Kimberly pulled the luxurious sheets up around her, enjoying their warmth, as she watched him dress.

"Your eyes, they're so black." Her curiosity had got the better of her, and she felt the need to understand the change. "Why is that?"

He pulled on the jacket of his suit, looking perfectly polished as though nothing had happened at all. "It's been a long time since I was so close with a human. The blood calls to me."

Kimberly wished she hadn't asked, that ball of fear making her stomach turn uncomfortably. "You want more of it." She lowered her eyes to the sheets that were wrapped around her.

Aro approached the bed again, placing his finger under her chin up and forcing her to look into his eyes. "I cannot express how grateful I am for the gifts you have given me; both your blood and your body. But I'm afraid our infatuation must end here."

Kimberly felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, his words creating panic within her. The tears that were beginning to well up along the edges of her eyes stung, and she could hear her heart beating frantically inside her chest.

"So, that's it?" Her voice was so low that it was barely audible to her own ears, but she knew he heard her. "To satisfy your curiosity and slake your lust, was that all I was good for? Are those the only two reasons why you wanted to keep me?"

"Though I did wish to keep you longer, I am bound to the laws I have created." His face seemed sympathetic, but his eyes were hard and cold.

He inched closer to her and Kimberly felt a scream bubble up in the back of her throat, but fear held it there. She fought frantically to come up with something, anything to distract him from what he was inevitably going to do. There had to be one last chance.

"But if you created them, can't you just change them or ignore them?" It was a futile attempt and she knew it.

He shook his head almost sadly. "I of all people must follow them exactly, to set an example. What sort of leader would I be if I could not follow the rules that I had set forth, even for myself? No, my dear, I cannot. I told you I could provide you pleasure, and pain. The same pain you were so desperate to endure; so willing to waste everything for. Now it is time that I fulfilled that promise."

She felt his cold breath on her neck, for only the briefest of moments before searing hot pain spread through her entire body. It radiated from her neck; Aro's teeth had broken through the flesh, gaining him access to the blood which pulsed beneath. _Please, don't do this!_ Was all she could think of, aside from the pain, but this time he responded in no way to her pleading.

He pushed her back, laying her down on the bed as his lips drew blood from the exposed artery in a measured rhythm. The pain was debilitating, and Kimberly found herself paralyzed, his weight crushing her breath from her lungs.

Aro's arms were wrapped around her, holding her in a close, icy embrace. He felt her body become limp against his, as he continued to satisfy the one last need she could provide to him.

_The End._

Note: Ad Vitam Aeternam - - For All Time

PLEASE REVIEW!!

If you enjoyed this story PLEASE check out uninhibited .spirit's _Of Perfect Value_ (www . fanfiction . net / s / 5462944 / 1 / Of_Perfect_Value) featuring a very angry but deliciously sexy Caius.

Word Count: 9804


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